THE ACE OF DIAMONDS HAS BEEN DEALT TO THE AMERICANS

American forces have captured Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti, Saddam Hussein's presidential secretary and No. 4 on the U.S. most-wanted list of Iraqi leaders, the U.S. military said Wednesday...

...Third in power only to the former Iraqi president and his younger son, Qusai, Mahmud controlled access to Saddam and was one of the few people he is said to have trusted completely, a U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

American troops raided two farmhouses and found $8.5 million in American cash, 300 million to 400 million Iraqi dinars and an undetermined amount of British pounds and Euros, said Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of the Army's 4th Infantry Division. The troops also found more than $1 million worth of gems and jewels, he said.

The troops captured one of Saddam's bodyguards and up to 50 other people believed to be tied to Saddam's security or intelligence forces or paramilitary groups, Odierno told Pentagon reporters in a video news conference from his headquarters in Tikrit.

``I believe over the next three to four days, you will hear much more about the number of senior Iraqi individuals we have detained here over the last couple of days,'' Odierno said...

Yes. Let us hope so.

UPDATE: Heard and interesting commentary on the radio about this. Says that if this guy failed to get out of Iraq and into some posh hiding place...then something went very very wrong with the escape plans of the regime elite.

Again...let us hope so.